1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to business methods. More particularly, the present invention relates to multi-level supplier reporting methods within the context of business methods.
2. Description of the Related Art
Integral to operation of many businesses is the acquisition, through a plurality of suppliers, each of which does business with the business, of a series of goods and/or services which are either directly or indirectly incorporated into a product or service which is sold by the business. Within the context of particularly complex businesses, such as, for example, transportation vehicle manufacturing businesses, there is typically acquired through a plurality of suppliers a series of transportation vehicle components, transportation vehicle subassemblies, transportation vehicle fabrication tools and related expendable transportation vehicle assembly supplies and services, which are either directly or indirectly incorporated into a transportation vehicle which is sold by a transportation vehicle manufacturing business.
While businesses in general, and transportation vehicle manufacturing businesses in particular, clearly require a plurality of suppliers for efficient and effective operation, the monitoring and controlling of various aspects of the plurality of suppliers which supplies a business, and in particular a transportation vehicle manufacturing business, with various goods and services, is generally not without problems. In that regard, the monitoring and controlling of a plurality of suppliers which supplies a business, such as but not limited to a transportation vehicle manufacturing business, while generally practical within the context of the characteristics which are integral to (i.e., intrinsic to or primary to) specific goods or services which are directly supplied by the supplier to the business, typically nonetheless also presents practicality problems and additional administrative burden with respect to characteristics which are not integral to (i.e., extrinsic to or secondary to) the specific goods or services which are directly supplied by the supplier to the business. For example and without limitation, characteristics which are not integral to the specific goods or services which are directly supplied by the supplier to the business may include, but are not limited to: (1) environmental compliance characteristics of the supplier; and (2) sub-supplier characteristics of the supplier, such as but not limited to minority sub-supplier characteristics of the supplier and geographic sub-supplier characteristics of the supplier.
In turn, secondary characteristics of a supplier are often important within business relationships between a business and a supplier, since secondary characteristics are often subject to government mandated entitlement programs and preference programs.
There thus exists within businesses in general, and transportation manufacturing businesses in particular, a need to monitor and control secondary characteristics of a supplier which does business with a business.
It is towards the foregoing object that the present invention is directed.